Weekly Post for Monday 1 July 2013: The Church, Relevant In the 21st Century? 26 June 2013 Definition of [Rel·e·vant]: adj 1. Having some sensible or logical connection with something else, for example, a matter being discussed or investigated 2. Having some bearing on or importance for real-world issues, present-day events, or the current state of society Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Okay, how does the present day church stack up in regard to relevancy in this century? Actually, what makes the modern day church relevant for today? Size? The Pastor? The message? The worship team? The sound system? The light show? Friendliness? Supporting the community? It’s social status? Standing with the local ministerium? The denomination? The building? The programs? Feeling good is rare in today’s society. The weight of life has become hard to bear. Shouldn’t church be a place of solace, a place to go to forget the perils of life? And considering “an idle mind is the Devil’s workshop,” shouldn’t a church be a place that provides plenty of alternative “positive” activities and entertainment? I tend to agree with most of those, so yes it should in one form or another. But, is my entertainment really the mission of the church? Maybe the real question should be: Is Jesus relevant for today? We have taken over the roll that Jesus told us he would fulfill, when He said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me (Jesus),” and have decided to lift up all of the above (paragraph one) to draw all men into the church (building). I remember a small Pennsylvania church, in it’s last gasp, down to 40-60 attendees (on Sunday mornings), brainstorming at a board meeting over what could be done, to encourage church growth, just to keep the doors open. The ideas went from moving to a new building (the location had too many stigmas attached to draw the town folk), a name change (the name had too many stigmas attached to draw the town folk), to some other equally important ways to attract the town folk. But then, in order to save money, it was suggested that mission support be cut! At that point one of the Deacons spoke up and said, “What makes you think God will bless us with growth and funds if we move or change our name?” He continued, “Have we been good stewards of what we have? Should God bless us with more?” When asked if he had any suggestions of good stewardship with what we had, he replied, “Cancel all of the programs that are costing money and not working, all of them, from Men’s Ministries to Royal Rangers, and let’s get back to basics, reaching out to the hurting in the town and surrounding areas, and instead of cutting mission support, let’s increase it! This would be a good start, but the real change should be changing our poorly attended Wednesday night prayer meeting into a real prayer meeting! Let’s show God we can be faithful with what He has trusted us with, and let’s make lifting the name of Jesus our only program!” (Matt 25:23, AMP) “His master said to him, well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.” Is our purpose of being, to indiscriminately build (add to, enlarge, expand, make bigger) the Church (body of believers) of Christ, or are we to be offering an alternative to: the entertainment, busyness (as in making one busy to the point of worthlessness in regard to a specific calling or commission), or charity of the world? Lest you consider me heartless: We should be meeting needs such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, binding up the wounded, providing shelter for the homeless as well as offering alternatives to all of the perversions of the god of this world. God does watch to see if we are being good stewards of what he has entrusted us with, and if we are “being faithful in the small things,” He will trust us with more! (Luke 16:10, AMP) “He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. At first the prayer meeting had few in attendance, but each week, more caught the fire and the group began to grow! Within weeks of that decision, new families began coming to the church, and the numbers grew beyond our wildest dreams, to the point of outgrowing the building, even with two services on Sunday mornings! Then God entrusted us with the new property and building, and all of the other “relevant” stuff! Jesus is the only piece of relevance that the church of today needs! Nowhere is it stated that we are to go into all (entire) the world and feed the hungry along with all those other charitable niceness! No, we are told, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel” lifting up the name of Jesus. (John 12:32, AMP) “And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw and attract all men [Gentiles as well as Jews] to Myself. If we, the Body of Christ, lift up the (risen) Christ, and present Him to the lost and dying, He will (build) the church! (1 Corinthians 1-5, AMP) “As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or [a]mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom; 2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. 3 And I was in ([b]passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [[c]after I had come] among you. 4 And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [[d]a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], 5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.” (Acts 7:48, AMP) “ However, the Most High does not dwell in houses and temples made with hands;” He dwells within us! (Psalm 127:1, AMP) “Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.” Let’s have done with the competition to see who can build the largest building or grab the biggest market share of the community (biggest piece of the spiritual pie if you will). Yes we are many (denominations) with different philosophies, but is there more than one Christ? Of course not! So if there is one Christ, and we all serve Him as we claim, why can’t we drop the deep theological debate, ill will, jealousy, animosity and hatred that has been festering throughout the ages, and work together to build His church? Let’s support each other, regardless of the name on the sign in front of the physical building, and simply lift up the name of Jesus? Last week I mentioned that a house divided against itself can’t stand; isn’t it time that we unite under the banner of Christ, forgetting our differences, concentrating on presenting He who, “While we were yet sinners,” gave himself to be crucified so that we may have everlasting life? Without Him the doors should be closed!
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 03:48:43 +0000
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